Anti-Abortion Health Care Measure Approved, then Rejected

A copy of H.R. 3200, America Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 sits on the desk of House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., after the markup on the health care bill was postponed on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, July 29, 2009.

An anti-abortion amendment to a controversial health care bill was voted down late Thursday just hours after it had received approval.

The amendment, which was approved in the Energy and Commerce Committee after conservative Democrats joined Republicans to support it, sought to bar health care legislation from imposing abortion mandates, except in limited cases.

A second vote called by committee chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), however, shot down the amendment, with conservative Democrat Rep. Bart Gordon of Tenessee changing his vote from “yes” to “no” and Rep. Zack Space of Ohio – who didn’t vote the first time – voting “no.”